Many women want to remove acrylic nails without having to visit a salon. Removing acrylic fingernails can cause your natural nails a lot of damage if not done with care.

Don't try and pull them off, this is a sure way to cause damage to your natural fingernails, and it can take a long time for your nails to get back to healthy again. Removal of acrylic nails can be a little time consuming, and you are best to take the time, for the sake of your nails health.

Remove Fake Fingernails - Step 1

Get yourself prepared; first you will need a small disposable bowl, an orange stick (cuticle pusher), petroleum jelly, acetone nail polish remover, nail file and buffer.

• Remove nail polish.

• Using a nail clipper, cut the acrylics as short as you can.

• File any of the acrylics you could not manage to clip off.

• Apply petroleum jelly around the base of your fingernails and cuticle, to help protect them from drying out.

• Soak nails in acetone nail polish remover, probably best to use a disposable bowl.

• Soak for about 15 to 20 minutes, in some cases, can take longer.

• Without removing your nails from the acetone remover, try scraping them with the cuticle pusher, (orange stick).

• Gently peel off any remainder of nails.

• Buff and file nails.

Remove Fake Fingernails - Step 2

You will need cotton balls and silver foil.

• Soak cotton balls in acetone nail polish remover.

• Place soaked cotton balls onto your fingernails.

• Wrap tin foil around the cotton balls and allow fingernails to soak for at least 20 min.

You may now be able to gently pull the fake nails off.

Gel nails can be removed with UV nail gel remover; this will certainly make the removal easier.

If the acrylics have a gel overlay, you will need to file the top of the fake nail first, as no amount of soaking in acetone nail polish remover will help.

Once you have removed the fake nails, your natural fingernails will be very weak. It is a good idea to rub some oil into your fingernails and cuticles; you can use any type of oil, solar oil, olive oil, almond oil or prick a vitamin E capsule and rub in. Massage your nails at least 2 to 3 times a day for the first few days.

Before you go ahead and put acrylic nails on again, give your fingernails a break for a while, they will need a chance to recover and repair.